The NHL season is constructed on journey and lengthy highway journeys. The coast-to-coast flights, lengthy bus rides, and video games on quick relaxation have gamers scrambling for meals and relaxation (together with the thread beneath, which occurred this week involving Brent Burns). There are highway journeys which can be exhausting due to the journey after which there are some which can be brutal due to the opposition.
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The query is which highway journeys are the worst? Trying on the massive ones across the league, there are a handful which can be notably tough and have an effect on some groups to the purpose the place they’ll derail seasons. In 2019, the gamers have been polled with their opinions on which arenas and cities they most popular as guests and which locations are the hardest to play. On prime of that, it’s value noting that some highway journeys have been significantly brutal in earlier eras, particularly, the primary one on this listing.
Southern California (Geese & Kings)
It’s simple to overlook how tough this highway journey was for opponents within the 2010s. From 2010-11 till 2017-18, the Anaheim Geese and Los Angeles Kings reached the playoffs a mixed 14 instances with the Kings successful the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014 as effectively. This highway journey required opponents to face two of the very best groups within the league usually on consecutive nights.
Each groups haven’t been dominant in latest seasons and the Geese are nonetheless rebuilding, making them a simple staff to defeat on the Honda Middle. Nonetheless, this highway journey continues to be one which groups within the Japanese Convention hate as they need to journey to the Pacific Coast realizing they’ll in all probability drop one of many two video games. It’s now not a tough journey however the subsequent journey out west nonetheless is.
Pacific Northwest (Canucks & Kraken)
For many of the groups within the Japanese Convention, that is the dreaded stretch of the season. Positive, the followers aren’t completely happy about staying up late for video games that begin at 10:00 PM Japanese time however the gamers need to journey to the alternative finish of the continent and face two nice groups.
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The Seattle Kraken have been hit and miss since their inaugural 2021-22 season however the Vancouver Canucks have change into the most effective groups within the NHL in latest seasons and have been dominant on their house ice. Final season, they went 27-9-5 at house to show Rogers Area into a spot the place they may rack up the wins.
Numerous groups that fly out to the Pacific Northwest wrestle in opposition to each the Canucks and the Kraken however some of the notable groups to collapse on the journey has been the Florida Panthers. They gained the Stanley Cup title final season and have been the most effective groups within the Japanese Convention in latest seasons. They’ve a 6-11-2 file at Rogers Area and Local weather Pledge Area.
It’s value throwing the San Jose Sharks into this highway journey as they’re the Northern California staff that’s usually grouped into this journey and likewise occurs to bridge each the Pacific Northwest and the Southern California groups. The Sharks aren’t a great staff lately and haven’t been since 2018-19 however within the earlier decade, they have been dominant on the SAP Middle, making them one other powerful highway enviornment for visiting groups.
Alberta (Flames & Oilers)
This highway journey is brutal, particularly within the winter months. Groups head up north to the chilly climate for video games in opposition to the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers for a stretch that isn’t forgiving. Positive, the Oilers have a brand new enviornment and the gamers rave about Rogers Place as the most effective locations for visiting rosters (plus Edmonton has all the time been recognized for having nice ice). Nonetheless, the Flames don’t present the identical expertise. The Scotiabank Saddledome is likely one of the oldest within the league and it’s why the staff is seeking to construct a brand new venue and are upgrading the previous one within the meantime.
The highway journey has groups going up in opposition to a star-studded Oilers staff led by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman whereas the Flames, even in the course of a retool, are additionally a troublesome out. That stated, this journey was a very unhealthy one within the Nineteen Eighties. Groups needed to face the staff to beat within the decade with Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey main the Oilers whereas the Flames have been a perennial playoff staff and gained the Cup in 1989. The chilly winters in Alberta give each house groups a bonus and make opposing groups dread it, particularly after they need to play back-to-back video games.
Florida (Panthers & Lightning)
The Florida highway journey has was one of many hardest if not the hardest in latest seasons. The Tampa Bay Lightning have been a mannequin franchise for some time and stay the most effective groups within the league, albeit not a juggernaut from a number of seasons again. The Panthers in the meantime are the sleeping big that awoke and look to be a dominant staff for years to return.
The 2 groups have represented the Japanese Convention within the Stanley Cup Remaining in every of the previous 5 seasons and it makes the Florida highway journey one which was as soon as a stroll within the park a tough one to get via. One evening a staff must face Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Level, and Victor Hedman whereas the following evening, they’ll face Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Reinhart.
The Florida journey is a tough one for the groups on the alternative ends of the continent. The Canucks, Kraken, and Oilers already should journey lots in a season and this stretch requires a number of days to regulate to. It’s one of many causes the Stanley Cup Remaining wanted a number of days off between video games. Sure, the Oilers and Panthers wanted the remainder however the journey alone made an additional day of relaxation a should.
New York (Devils, Islanders & Rangers)
When all three groups are enjoying effectively, that is with out query the worst highway journey for any staff to face. Groups will usually face the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers in a four-day stretch and whereas the journey between video games isn’t loopy, the matchups are. All three groups made the playoffs in 2022-23 and this season, the Devils and Rangers are thought to be two of the favorites within the Japanese Convention.
It’s one of many causes the Oilers have traditionally performed poorly in opposition to the Islanders, going 8-20-2 in highway video games in opposition to the opposite nice staff of the Nineteen Eighties. The highway journey has additionally been unforgiving for the Canucks, who’ve a 22-48-4 file in video games at Madison Sq. Backyard and Prudential Middle.
Throw within the Philadelphia Flyers, who are sometimes a part of the highway journey as a drive south down the I-95 and this journey turns into a gauntlet. On prime of that, plenty of groups from the Western Convention can even face the opposite Metropolitan Division groups throughout the identical journey. It crushes two birds with one stone as they get all of the powerful highway video games out of the way in which without delay however they usually set the staff again within the standings because the losses can pile up.
Different Tough Highway Journeys
The Midwest and the Rocky Mountains are usually neglected and thought to be flyover nation. Nonetheless, there are some powerful journeys within the space with every highway sport presenting a novel set of obstacles.
- The Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets are shut by and infrequently grouped collectively for highway groups. Each matchups are laborious, particularly within the winter when the snow and chilly climate beat down on each cities.
- The Colorado Avalanche and Utah Hockey Membership are actually a part of the identical Rocky Mountain area highway journey. Colorado all the time had the fame of a troublesome place to play with Denver being the Mile Excessive Metropolis, however Salt Lake Metropolis additionally has excessive altitude and is a troublesome place for gamers to acclimate for hockey.
- Las Vegas has no scarcity of distractions and it offers the Vegas Golden Knights a bonus in opposition to groups which can be staying within the metropolis in a single day or the day earlier than the sport. Then once more, the Nashville Predators used that to their benefit final season when the canceled U2 live performance lit a hearth below the roster and helped them make the playoffs.
The highway journeys that require hours on the highway or within the air are all the time the hardest. Nonetheless, those that require groups to face nice rosters as effectively are significantly tough. It was once the Southern California journey was a brutal one and now the Florida journey is as a substitute. Even the very best groups stumble in these video games and it makes the 82-game season a grind not like every other.
